Demons Within: I level up endlessly-Chapter 34: Sleeping Dragon

Daniel stepped out of the dark cave.

He gasped for breath, his chest heaving up and down.

His legs shook uncontrollably, barely holding him upright after the fight.

He collapsed onto the damp grass, letting the cool ground soothe his aching muscles.

He had killed a Level 5 Demonized Elite monster. The Wraithfire Fenrir was dead, and its power was now flowing through his veins.

He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the new strength settling into his bones.

From a distance, hidden behind thick bushes, Bran watched. He stayed still, barely breathing.

He watched Daniel fall to the ground and then slowly sit up. Bran’s eyes narrowed. He saw the new bow lying next to Daniel. It shone with a faint, white light.

"He survived," Bran thought to himself. Bran waited. He knew he couldn’t just walk out yet. He had to play his part perfectly.

Back at the cave entrance, Daniel got a notification. It was louder than the usual notifications.

[Class Certificate Detected. User meets prerequisites for multiple Class Transitions.]

[Analyzing User Attributes, Skills, and Combat Data...]

Daniel rubbed his eyes. This was the second time he’d received this notification, and this time, there was a sense of urgency.

He remembered Instructor Baldwin mentioning this briefly. Reaching a certain level or achieving a great feat could unlock a Class.

It was a way to specialize, to focus your power into a specific path. The screen shifted, showing a list of options.

[Recommended Classes based on High Agility, Strength, Vitality, Perception Skills, and Mixed Combat Style:]

1. Hunter (Composite - Archery/Traps/Familiar Focus)

2. Shadow Assassin (Assassin - Stealth/Agility/Critical Strike Focus)

3. Divine Warrior (Warrior - Strength/Vitality/Kinetic Skill Focus)

4. Battle Mage(Hybrid - Spirit/Physical Attribute/Spell Combat Focus)

5. Berserker (Warrior - Rage Scaling/Strength Surge/Damage Amplification Focus)

6. Necromancer (Caster - Death Magic/Undead Control/Soul Harvest Focus)

[Please select desired First Transition Class. Note: Choice locks this certificate’s potential.]

Daniel read through the list carefully. This was a big decision. Whatever he chose now would shape how he fought for a long time.

"Hunter," he whispered. It sounded good. He had the new Skyreaver bow, and he had learned a lot about traps from Sophie.

But a Hunter relied a lot on distance. Daniel liked to get close sometimes. He liked the feeling of hitting hard with his fists or his knife.

He looked at Shadow Assassin. He was fast. He had the [Shadowsteps] skill and [Omnivision] to see in the dark. It fit his style of moving unseen. However, Assassins were usually fragile. If he got hit, it would hurt a lot. He needed to be tough to survive the whole thing.

Then, he looked at Necromancer. He shuddered. Dealing with the dead? Controlling undead armies? It was powerful, yes. He had seen the piles of bones in the cave. If he were a Necromancer, he could have raised them. But it felt wrong. It felt too dark, even for him. He wanted to save his family, not raise a family of corpses.

Berserker sounded dangerous. Rage scaling meant he had to be angry and take damage to deal damage. That was too risky. He couldn’t afford to lose control.

His eyes fell on Divine Warrior.

Strength. Vitality. Kinetic Skill Focus. It was balanced. It offered toughness and raw power. Most importantly, it mentioned ’Kinetic Skill Focus.’

His strongest attack skill, [Forceburst], was kinetic in nature. If he chose the Warrior path, this skill and any other kinetic skills he gained would likely grow even stronger.

"Divine Warrior," Daniel said, nodding to himself.

He reached out and tapped the "Divine Warrior" option.

[Class Selected: Divine Warrior.]

[Acquiring Class Traits... Success.]

[Gain: Strength +10]

[Gain: Vitality +10]

[Gain: Defense +10]

[New Passive Skill: Combat Mastery (D-Grade) - Increases the user’s proficiency with all melee weapons. Improves accuracy, swing speed, and combo efficiency when using swords, axes, spears, daggers, or any close-range weapon.]

[New Active Skill: Quick Dodge (C-Grade) - Allows the user to instantly evade an incoming attack, moving a short distance in the chosen direction. Reduces damage or completely avoids hits if timed correctly.]

A warm surge of energy rushed through him. His shoulders felt broader. His grip felt tighter. He felt like he was made of iron.

Daniel stood up. The fatigue was still there, but it was pushed to the back of his mind.

He checked his Databand one last time.

[Name: Daniel Rivers]

[Class: Divine Warrior]

[Level: 3]

He was ready. He picked up his new white bow and slung it over his shoulder. He put his upgraded Vibro-Knife back in his belt.

"Bran," he thought. "I need to get back to Bran." He turned away from the cave and started walking back toward the spot where he had left the boy.

He hoped Bran was safe. He hoped the boy hadn’t done anything foolish out of fear.

Meanwhile, Bran saw Daniel moving. He quickly scrambled back into a deeper shadow behind a rock.

He messed up his hair to look rough. He rubbed some dirt on his cheeks to look like he had been crying or panicking.

When Daniel came into view, Bran waited for a few seconds, then peeked out. "Daniel?" Bran called out, his voice trembling perfectly.

"Is that you?" Daniel stopped and looked in Bran’s direction. A look of relief washed over his face.

"Bran! Come out. It’s me." Bran ran out from his hiding spot. He looked at Daniel with wide, amazed eyes. He looked at the new bow, then at Daniel’s torn but victorious stance.

"You... you came back," Bran said, sounding like he couldn’t believe it. "I heard noises. Scary noises. I thought the cave collapsed on you."

"It was a tough fight," Daniel admitted, walking over to Bran. He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

"There was a monster inside. A big one. But it’s dead now." Bran gasped. "You killed it? By yourself?"

"I had to," Daniel said simply. "But we got good things from it. Look." He showed Bran the Skyreaver bow.

"This will help us. We can fight from a distance now." Bran reached out and touched the white wood of the bow.

His fingers lingered on it. "It’s beautiful," he whispered. Inside, he thought, "That would soon be mine."

"We need to move," Daniel said, looking at the sky. The strange, violet clouds were darkening. Night was coming again.

"We need to find a safe place to rest before we head for the portal tomorrow."

"Okay," Bran nodded obediently. "There was a spot we passed earlier."

"Lead the way, Bran" Daniel replied.

They walked in silence for a while.

"You really are amazing, Daniel," Bran said after about 30 minutes. "I don’t know what I would do without you. Everyone else... Sophie, Ragnar... they were strong, but you are different. You are special."

Daniel smiled tiredly.

"We are a team, Bran. I told you. I won’t let you down."

"I know," Bran replied.

He looked down at the ground to hide the knowing smirk that touched his lips. "I know you won’t."

They found the spot Bran had mentioned. It was hidden from the main path, making it a good place to hide from wandering monsters.

"This is good," Daniel said. He dropped his pack on the ground. "We’ll camp here." They worked together to clear a small space.

Daniel didn’t have the energy to make a fire tonight, and he didn’t want to attract attention anyway. They ate some dried meat and drank water from their flasks.

The darkness of the Aurora Vale settled around them.

The strange plants began to glow with a soft, natural light. It was beautiful, but also deadly silent.

"I’m going to crash," Daniel sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. His eyes were heavy.

"We head for the portal at first light. We have plenty of time."

"Rest, Daniel," Bran said with a reassuring smile. "You did all the work today. I’ll take the first watch."

Daniel looked at Bran. He saw a young boy who was trying to be brave. He saw a friend.

"Are you sure, Bran? You must be tired too."

"I’m okay," Bran insisted. "I slept a lot when you were in the cave. Really. I can’t sleep right now anyway. Too much adrenaline."

"Alright," Daniel nodded. He trusted Bran implicitly. He laid his bedroll down on the flat ground.

"Wake me up in six hours. Don’t push yourself."

"I promise," Bran said. Daniel lay down. He closed his eyes. Within minutes, his breathing evened out.

The exhaustion took over, pulling him down into a deep, dreamless sleep. He was completely out, his body shutting down to repair the damage from the battle with the Fenrir.

Bran sat on a rock nearby, watching Daniel. He waited. Twenty minutes passed. Thirty minutes. Then, Bran stood up.

He walked over to Daniel and waved a hand in front of his face. Daniel didn’t move. He didn’t flinch.

"Sleeping like a baby," Bran whispered. The mask fell. The warm, innocent smile dissolved immediately.

Bran’s eyes hardened, and the usual fear drained from them. At the same time, he straightened, the hunch in his shoulders gone.

He reached into his hidden pouch at his waist.

His fingers closed around a small glass vial. He pulled it out, revealing a dark, thick liquid moving inside.

It was the ink he had prepared for some time now, made from the blood of magical beasts and mixed with rare herbs. It was the conduit for the dark ritual.

"Finally," Bran hissed softly. "All that acting. All those tears. It was exhausting." He uncorked the vial.

He knelt beside the sleeping Daniel. Next, he reached for his boot. He pulled out a dagger. It wasn’t the F-Grade knife Daniel had given him.

This was his own blade, one he had kept hidden.

The metal was dull and grey. He had coated the blade with the ’Dream-Leaf’ extract and a paralytic toxin he had harvested from the plants in the Vale.

He didn’t intend to kill Daniel yet. The book in the library had been very specific. "The victim must be alive."

The essence had to be ripped from a living soul to be transferred completely. If Daniel died before the ritual was done, the SSS-Grade talent would disappear forever.

Bran needed him alive. He needed him helpless. He crept closer.

The firelight from the glowing plants cast long, demonic shadows across Bran’s face. He looked like a goblin from a nightmare.

"SSS-Grade..." Bran said softly, his voice trembling with anticipation. He could almost taste the power.

He looked at Daniel’s peaceful face. "It’s too good for a soft-hearted fool like you, Daniel."

Bran hovered the dagger over Daniel’s arm. He needed to carve the first rune into Daniel’s flesh to start the binding process.

He raised the dagger, ready to strike. The tip caught the pale light, aimed to cut deep.